Out of Touch GOP Doesn’t Think Unemployment Insurance Top Priority

While Americans around the country are calling for action – with a recent poll showing 58 percent of voters support renewing emergency unemployment benefits – House Republicans are still refusing to take action to renew this assistance that expired last month for 1.3 million Americans. According to POLITICO:

“House Republicans are showing little appetite, urgency and interest in extending the program, and are hinting that they are content to let the issue disappear if the Senate fails to pass its own legislation.”

“The reasons for this stance are plentiful. Some Republicans think the nation is awash with unoccupied jobs, others are wary of shuffling more government money to the unemployed and nearly every GOP lawmaker wants to see seismic changes to the way benefits are administered.”

“At this stage, House Republicans say they will not craft their own extension of jobless benefits but instead will wait to see if the Senate can pass its legislation.”

Awash with jobs? The economy is improving, but millions of Americans are still searching. We don’t know what world the House GOP are living in, but it sure isn’t the same one as the 1.3 million Americans who just lost their unemployment benefits. The top priority for Congress should be helping struggling Americans, not continued Republican inaction.